Finding Workout Music with Pandora

by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Reviews
Tags : bands, music


Tweet

Over the past few days I've been re-discovering just how good it is to have the right music playing in a workout. Naturally, music affects people in different ways, but I tend to remember the exact song I was listening to when I set a new PR or some other significant event. Playing the same track on a subsequent attempt is often enough to bring success.

Recently I was reminded of the Pandora site, which is a creation stemming from the Music Genome Project. This project (which is still going) set about compiling a massive musical database filled with detailed information on a wide variety of music. Over 400 pieces of information were recorded for each song.

Pandora uses this extensive database to create a surprisingly accurate 'if you like this, you'll probably like this' scenario. The more information (ie, bands you like) you give it, the better it gets. With each suggestion there is the option to indicate whether or not you like it; refining the output even further.

These suggestions are then streamed to you as a personalised radio station. This station can then be saved for future visits to the site. A brilliant way to identify appropriate music. The best part? It's free.

Scott Andrew Bird is a writer, photographer and a guy who just loves this stuff. He's been at home in front of a computer for more years than he cares to remember (OK, 29) and is now making amends for years of many mistakes noted in the De-constructing computer guy articles (part 2) on T-Nation.

Stalkers may wish to track his every move via Twitter or Google+; everyone else is cordially invited to hop over to his online home. Enjoy.

Like this? Check out some of their other articles :

• Looking At : May 13, 2012
• Gymchat 168 - Workout Nutrition II
• Looking At : May 6, 2012

For a full list, head over to the author page for Scott Andrew Bird.

NB : if you'd like to join the writing team here and share your own thoughts on strength-training, get in touch. Look forward to hearing from you.

Over to you. Leave a comment below, or send us a tweet :

Featured Products

what we're saying

how to

• Bending (Nails, Horseshoes)
  Easily one of the most rewarding ways to train.
  
• Clubs & Maces
  A great way to get a top workout in, without wasting time.
  
• Grippers
  I love training with grippers. Beautiful things.
  
• Kettlebells
  Fantastic.
  
• Ropes (Climbing/Dragging, Battling Ropes)
  Have you got what it takes?
  
• Sandbags
  If you're ready to take your conditioning workouts up a notch, grab one of these.
  
• Suspension Training
  Perfect for outdoor sessions.
  

images of strength

Want to see (and learn) more Feats of Strength like this? Dive in.

popular articles

Welcome. Here you’ll find everything that grunts, groans and ticks in the world of strength training. To give you an idea, here are just a handful of this site's most popular articles :

• DIY: How to Build an Olympic Weightlifting Platform [Kat 'The Mighty Kat' Ricker]
  Beautiful.
  
• Building A Neck Of Steel [Mike 'The Machine' Bruce]
  So you want a strong neck? It's actually quite simple.
  
• Straight to the Grip Contest (part II, III, IV, V and VI) [Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson] Getting ready for your first grip contest? Here's what to expect.
  
• A Little Yoke Work : 10 Exercises for a Bigger Neck [Scott Bird]
  Traps maketh the man.
  
• 29 Things to do with a Barbell in the Corner [Jason Kirby]
  This is absolutely superb.
  
• Get Mental! The Psychology of Strength [Josh Hewett]
  The thinking side is half the challenge.
  
• Small Victories [Josh Hanagarne]
  Improve what you can improve, every day.
  

If you enjoyed these, check out the complete 'Best Of Straight to the Bar' list. Fantastic.

recommended

It'll come as no surprise that we've reviewed many, many products over the years. Everything from books, magazines and DVDs to racks, benches and complete home gyms.

To give you an idea :

• You Need More Drugs
• Isopure Protein Powder - My Review
• Hercules for a Day
• CRUSH DVD Review!
• A Critical Analysis: Reaction Ball
• Mizuno Wave Enigma Running Shoes Review
• Review : StrongerGrip Loadable Blob

NB : if you'd like to review a product for Straight to the Bar, I'd love to hear from you. It's fantastic to see how other people put things to the test.

also learning from

join the discussion

Straight to the Bar is very much an interactive website. In addition to the articles here, there are a number of ways to share your passion with other lovers of the iron :

• Seen something cool? Send us a tweet
• Discuss it in the forums
• Join the Gymchats on Google+.
• Vote for stories on StumbleUpon & Facebook
• Add training and comp pics to the Flickr group
• Submit articles on styles and techniques
• Subscribe to the tutorial videos on youtube

Incidentally, for updates whenever new articles are published (as well as lots of other top strength-related stuff), follow me on twitter :

the team

There are some superb writers here, looking at the world of strength training from a number of angles. The regulars :

• Scott Bird (@scottbird)
  Writer and Fitness enthusiast
  

NB : It's a big team - full list here.

In addition, articles are submitted from across the globe. Got a piece you'd like to share? Let us know.

(how to use the converter)

elsewhere

In addition to the articles on this site are a number I've written elsewhere. Including :

• Paleo Diet : Increased Mental Clarity
• The Art of Working Out Alone
• The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food (part II)
• Rock the Kitchen: Plan for Diet Success
• 10 Challenging Bodyweight Exercises
• Buying Your First Kettlebell
• Switching to Biphasic Sleeping? Start here.

reading

Want more? Try these :

The Diesel Crew Bending eBook

If you're new to the world of nail bending, this is the perfect book to get. It'll show you the exact techniques you'll need to get started right away. Written by world-class bender Jedd Johnson.

The Diesel Crew's Card Tearing eBook

This is a fantastic book. If you've ever considered learning this incredible strength feat, the Card Tearing eBook is the perfect place to start. Love it.

Functional Correction Manual

If you ever wake up with that 'just run over by a truck' feeling, you need a copy of Tim Hull's Functional Correction Manual. Not only will it help you to locate and repair the problem, it'll help prevent it happening in the future.

Precision Nutrition

When it comes to body transformation - whether that's an increase in strength, packing on a bit of muscle or losing a bit of excess fat - this is the perfect place to start. Dr Berardi's Precision Nutrition.

Strength Training Anatomy

This is a fantastic book. As Josh explains, it superbly shows what's going on while you train. Love it.

101 Fitness Myths [Kindle Edition]

A superb combination of fitness mythbusting and no-nonsense advice. If you're not quite sure where to start, grab this.

The Art of Expressing the Human Body

If you've ever watched a Bruce Lee film and marveled at his strength, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility or muscularity, this book should take pride of place in your collection. Unlike many other writings covering everything from Lee's training methods to nutrition, this book is based not on the recollections of people around him; but on Lee's own notes. Brilliant.

And if you're a strength coach or personal trainer, check out the books Derek found invaluable when setting up his (commercial) gym. Fantastic place.

Over to you. What are you reading right now?

technique

Welcome.

If you’ve just joined us, I’d highly recommend checking out the ‘Start Here’ page - which takes a thorough look at what this site’s all about. However, if you’re more the ‘dive right in, read the manual later’ type, you may wish to check out the articles I’ve highlighted below. Just a few personal favourites.